


i'm down like a fallen tree

by bayaningbituon



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Discord: Tenzou's Cabin, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:20:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29191425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bayaningbituon/pseuds/bayaningbituon
Summary: in a forest no one's foundbut i do make a sound when i fall down obviouslyTenzou pines from afar, and all of Konoha wants him to confess already.
Relationships: Uchiha Obito/Yamato | Tenzou
Comments: 5
Kudos: 8
Collections: Tenzo's Cabin Affection Fest





	i'm down like a fallen tree

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is my entry for the Tenzō Cabin Affection Fest! I chose the Alternate Universe option, but there is also the friendship theme with Kakashi and Tenzō . I got the characters of Obito, Sasuke and Hinata, and I chose Obito/Tenzō as the main pairing, with Sasuke and Hinata as side characters!
> 
> Thanks to [Zaffre](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZaffreAmethyst/pseuds/ZaffreAmethyst) from the Tenzō Cabin discord for the beta read!
> 
> Title and part of the summary is from the song Honesty by Noah Reid! I highly recommend giving him a listen!
> 
> Enjoy!

Sometimes, Tenzō is grateful to have Kakashi as his senpai. When he was losing his grip on his humanity, Kakashi-senpai was always there to drag him back with a joke, a careful hand on his shoulder, an eye-smile and soft words.

  
Other times, he regrets ever meeting Kakashi-senpai.

  
Today is one of those times. 

  
Team Ro is kneeling on the floor in front of the Hokage's desk, Raven finishing up his report to the Yondaime. The Yondaime looks at them thoughtfully with her violet eyes laser-focused, hands clasped in front of her as she considers each member of their team. "Thank you for your hard work, Team Ro." She opens her mouth to continue onwards, but suddenly, the door bursts open and Tenzō inwardly flinches at the sense of pure glee emanating from Kakashi-senpai as they both register who exactly had interrupted their briefing.

  
"Sorry!! Sorry I'm late! Tsubaki-oba-san needed help with her groceries and it ended up taking way longer than I thought it would—"

  
Kushina-sama's eyes narrow as she growls back, "Obito-kun, take your training seriously! If you want to be the Godaime—"

  
"Ehh, of course I still want to be the Godaime—"

  
"Then act like it!"

  
The two of them continue to argue as Kakashi-senpai discreetly elbows Tenzō. Tenzō flushes under his ANBU mask and nudges him back in warning, but the minute movement attracts the attention of the squabbling duo.

  
Tenzō's heartbeat quickens as Uchiha Obito's warm gaze lands on them. He feels a fluttering in his stomach and warmth spreading through his chest, a sensation he's gotten used to every time he's in Obito's presence. To be at the center of Obito's attention feels like stepping out into the rays of sunshine on a cloudless day.

  
Or something along those lines. 

  
Kakashi-senpai had told him that he sounded like an Icha-Icha main character.

  
Tenzō didn't speak to him for a week afterwards.

  
"Oh-ho, you're back, Bakashi—"

  
Kushina bonks him on the head with her large Hokage hat. "Baka! You're supposed to use their codenames—"

  
"—what does it matter, we all know each other in here—"

  
"—take this seriously—"

  
Tenzō finally clears his throat, putting a stalemate to the argument. "May we be dismissed, Hokage-sama, Uchiha-sama?"

  
Obito makes a face at his formal address and pouts, "Mou, Tenzō-kun, I've told you before, you can call me Obito-kun!" Tenzō feels heat rise to his face beneath his ANBU mask, but then Obito continues, "Thank you for your hard work." At the sight of Obito's warm smile directed at him, Tenzō's heart skips a beat. 

  
Kushina lets out an exasperated sigh, but waves them on ahead. "Dismissed, Team Ro. Thank you for your hard work."

  
In unison, they all stand—and no, he does not stumble one bit even though Obito is still looking at him with something that he wishes were fondness but is more likely friendly tolerance—and with a bow, shunshin away.

  
—

In the ANBU locker room, Tenzō focuses on changing into standard gear, bandaging his small wounds as he does so and silently willing Kakashi-senpai to stay quiet.

  
"You need to actually do something about that, Tenzō," Kakashi drawls from beside him.

  
Tenzō lets out a wistful sigh and lets go of the idea of a peaceful afternoon. "About what?" he asks woodenly.

  
"You know what," Kakashi replies. "It's going to be harder to confess your feelings when he's the Hokage."

  
Tenzō squawks in alarm and fumbles to cover Kakashi's mask-covered mouth. "Kakashi-senpai! Lower your voice, please!"

  
"No one's around," Kakashi says, muffled behind Tenzō's hand.

  
Tenzō takes his hand off Kakashi's face and wordlessly gestures around the locker room, which had a few ANBU members scattered throughout. 

  
"Oh, I'm sorry, I meant there's no one around that doesn't already know about your big crush on Obito."

  
"Kakashi-senpai!"

  
A droll voice from behind them says, "Are we talking about your crush on Obito-nii-san? Yeah, we all know about it."

  
Tenzō whirls around in surprise and wilts at the impassive stare of their teammate, Raven. Raven, also known as Uchiha Sasuke, which means that at least one of Obito's family members know.

  
"Ehh? Why is everyone ganging up on me?"

  
"Because it's been so long, Tenzō. How many years has it been since you've fallen for Obito? You should just do something about it so we can stop witnessing your pining," Kakashi says with a slight whine.

  
"I'm not obvious at all!" Tenzō protests.

  
Kakashi and Sasuke both stare at him in disbelief. Sasuke replies with a deadpan voice, "When Obito-nii-san showed up at dinner the other day, you spilled your drink everywhere."

  
"When he smiled at you last month, you fell out of the tree," Kakashi continues.

  
Uchiha Shisui, walking back from the showers and drying his hair with a towel, pitches in incredulously, "When he told you to smile more, the table grew flowers! _Flowers_!"

  
Kakashi lets out an unbridled laugh as the two Uchihas exchange exasperated looks before Shisui lets out a cheerful wave and walks away. Sasuke follows with a farewell nod to the two of them. Tenzō droops slightly at the coordinated attack. "Okay, okay," he concedes, "so I haven't been subtle. But he still doesn't know, right?"

  
Kakashi sighs in disappointment. "Of course not. He's Obito."

  
"So as long as he doesn't notice, I don't need to say or do anything."

  
"But what if your feelings are returned?"

  
At those words, Tenzō feels a flash of lightning race down his spine. "Ehh? Are they? Kakashi-senpai, what do you know?"

  
Kakashi shakes his head, avoiding Tenzō's hopeful gaze and looking into his locker for bandages. "I'm not saying I know anything, but I'm also not saying I know nothing. But you should still confess your feelings."

  
Tenzō sinks down onto the bench, subdued. "He's going to be Hokage within a year. What's he going to do with a confession from a clanless shinobi that has no past?"

  
Kakashi eyes his kouhai, hunched over and miserable, and decides to display his emotions openly, just this once. He pats Tenzō's shoulder comfortingly and says, "The question is, what would he do with a confession from a strong shinobi, an ANBU leader who sees his scars as a sign of strength, and sees him and not his Uchiha name?"

  
Tenzō looks up at him with shining eyes. "Kakashi-senpai, you're so romantic."

  
Kakashi flushes under his mask and replies gruffly, "Urusai! You're the one always comparing him to the sun. You're worse than Jiraiya-sama's books."

  
Tenzō scrunches his face at him at the dig, but continues, "Well, I still don't know if I should say anything. I haven't seen any signs of him feeling the same about me."

  
Kakashi hums questioningly in reply.

  
"Rin-san told me how he used to act around her, and he doesn't do that around me," Tenzō replies with a small pout.

  
"We're adults now, I would hope that it wouldn't be the same," Kakashi says sardonically.

  
Tenzō ignores him and continues, "And I don't even know what I would say."

  
"Sometimes," Kakashi advises as he closes his locker with a firm snap, "actions speak louder than words." With a final encouraging ruffle of Tenzō's hair, he walks away, leaving Tenzō on the bench to think and wonder and hope.

  
—

Tenzō lingers outside the Hokage's building, trying to breathe through his anxiety. _I can't believe I'm actually going to confess,_ he thinks hysterically. 

  
Down the street, he sees two blonde heads walking side by side, and as they get closer, he realizes that it's Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime's husband and head of the Fuinjutsu Research Department, and Uzumaki Naruto, the Yondaime's son and apprentice to one of the fuinjutsu specialists in Konoha, Umino Iruka.

  
If they're walking towards the Hokage building, that means the Yondaime's day has ended.  
  


And sure enough, he sees her walking out of the building, Hokage robes askew.

  
"Minato-kun! Naruto-chan! Ah, I'm so hungry dattebane!"

  
Naruto blushes and whines at the nickname. "Kaa-chan, I'm sixteen years old! Stop calling me Naruto-chan, I'm a grown man now, dattebayo!"

  
"Oh-ho, a grown man, huh?" she chuckles, a dark aura coming from her. "If you're a grown man, why am I still doing your laundry? Why is your room always a mess? Ne, if you're a _grown man_ shouldn't you have your own place by now?"

  
Naruto blanches, and Minato intervenes with a nervous chuckle. "Maa maa, Kushina, I'm sure Naruto doesn't mean it like that, right Naruto?"

  
Naruto nods rapidly in agreement, inching behind his father to partially hide from his mother's dark aura.

  
The dark aura disappears like a switch has been flicked, and Kushina grins brightly at the pair. "That's what I thought!" Her stomach grumbles, and she pats it ruefully with a laugh. "My stomach is ready for some ramen!"

  
"Oh? I thought we were going to that new restaurant for dumplings?" Minato teases. He laughs when he meets the shining, pleading eyes of his son and wife. 

  
"Tou-san, ramen is the best!"

  
"You promised me ramen dattebane!"

  
"Yeah, you promised kaa-chan dattebayo!"

  
Faced with a possible mutiny from his family, Minato amusedly concedes. "Ichiraku it is then!"

  
"Yatta!"

  
Before they can leave, Tenzō steps forward and interrupts hesitantly. "Ano, Yondaime-sama?"

  
Bright purple eyes turn to regard him, and she grins in surprise. "Tenzō-kun! Did you need anything?"

  
"Ah, hai," he replies, looking down to avoid her expectant gaze. "I was looking for Obito-san." Staring at the gravel on the road, he misses the excited looks the three of them share with each other.

  
Kushina inches forward and whispers conspiratorially, "Ne, ne, Tenzō-kun, are you going to confess your feelings today?"

  
Tenzō blanches at the direct words. "Ehh? How do you—I mean, no—I mean, what do you mean?"

  
She squeals at his faltering and takes him by the shoulders to shake him excitedly. "This is so exciting! I'm so happy for you!" She leans forward and says encouragingly, "You've got this, Tenzō-kun. Just say what's in your heart and the rest will follow! We believe in you, dattebane!"

  
Tenzō blushes to the roots of his hair and stammers, "A-arigatou, Yondaime-sama. Ano, so is Obito-san—"

  
"Ah, hai! He's organizing the archives next to the office. You can go ahead inside and meet him there." She winks at him and continues with a leer, "Just don't do anything I wouldn't do, neh, Tenzō-kun!"

  
Before he could splutter out any more protests, she releases him and bounces over to her family, and they walk off towards Ichiraku after wishing him good luck.

  
Tenzō can only shake his head, and with a small sigh, heads into the Hokage's building. He walks down a few hallways and up a couple of flights of stairs, saying hello to various assistants and passerbys, before finally coming to a stop in front of the door to the archives. He bites his lip, trying to ignore the swarm of butterflies that have erupted in his chest, and opens the door. "Obito-san—" he starts in a low voice, only to be met with the surprised gaze of the Hyuuga clan heir, Hyuuga Hinata.

  
His heart sinks. If Obito isn't here, he's not sure he could muster up the courage again to confess his feelings.

  
But behind her, a voice, warm like honey, says with surprise, "Tenzō-kun?"

  
Tenzō looks behind Hinata and meets Obito's eyes, and everything else falls away. 

  
Hinata glances between the two of them as the silence wears on, before she interrupts with a delicate cough and says, "Obito-san, I'm going ahead. I'm meeting with my former teammates for dinner."

  
"Thank you for your hard work, Hinata-chan!" Obito waves goodbye as he finally breaks his gaze to set down one of the folders in his hands.

  
"Arigatou, Obito-san," Hinata says softly with a small bow. As she turns to leave, she gives Tenzō a small smile and whispers, "Good luck, Tenzō-san!" before closing the door behind her.

  
_Does everyone in Konohagakure know?_ he thinks frantically to himself.

  
Obito turns back towards Tenzō and asks cheerfully, "What's up, Tenzō-kun?"

  
Tenzō takes a few hesitant steps into the room and replies, "Ano...I wanted to tell you something."

  
Something floods Obito's face—elation? fondness? anticipation?—and he asks softly, "What did you want to tell me?"

  
Staring now into Obito's warm, expectant gaze, Tenzō finds himself once again at a loss for words. How does he put into the words the depths of his feelings for Obito? How could he ever describe the warm feeling in his chest when Obito smiles at him, the way Obito makes him feel rooted to the earth, solid and safe and whole in a way he never considered himself to be. How could he ever describe how he is just a tree, growing in the direction of the sun, Obito's acknowledgement and approval.

  
There are no words that could ever suffice. 

  
But there was something he could _do_.

  
He stretches out a hand, from which a green stem grows, blooming into a delicate white flower. He grasps the stem, pulls it out of his hand and reaches out to hand it over to Obito. 

  
Obito accepts the flower, meeting Tenzō's gaze as his lips unfurl into a beautiful smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, if anyone wants to have a go at this universe, please feel free to go with it! Here are my headcanons with this AU:  
> -Kushina is the Yondaime.  
> -Obito gave Kakashi his eye at the Kannabi bridge mission, but Tsunade was nearby and was able to heal him so he was eyeless for a while, and then Itachi donated one of his eyes to Obito and retired and is now either a teacher or a civilian, since he's a pacifist.  
> -There is no Zetsu/Madara bullshit here.  
> -Rin was sensei for Team 7.  
> -This fic takes place when the Fourth Shinobi War would've happened. Sasuke just joined ANBU, Sakura is still apprenticed under Tsunade, and Naruto is apprenticed under Iruka who is a fuinjutsu specialist. I am very attached to Iruka and Naruto's bond.  
> -In this fic Kushina is still the jinchuuriki but Naruto will probably get Kurama later on.  
> -Obito is going to be the Godaime.  
> -The coup didn't happen because Kushina and Mikoto are best friends and there was no Kyuubi attack to turn the village against the Uchiha clan.  
> -Danzou is dead because fuck him.
> 
> I might also write more under this AU, who knows? But it'll be one shots like this, so if anyone wants to take a stab at this AU please feel free to do so!


End file.
